Causeway Coast Vineyard Church in Northern Ireland has released an investigative report into allegations of spiritual and leadership abuse against former pastor Alan Scott, highlighting accusations of manipulation, narcissistic behavior and public shaming .
Scott, who led the large evangelical church in Coleraine before moving to the United States and is now pastor of Dwelling Place Anaheim, is accused of claiming to discern “people’s sins just by looking at them” and of set unrealistic salvation goals for church evangelists, the report by TrustedHR declares.
Commissioned by Causeway Coast and Vineyard Church UK and Ireland, the firm collected statements and interviews with 37 respondents. The investigation began in response to letters received by Church leaders in the United States expressing concerns about former leaders.
The Christian Post requested comment from Scott through Dwelling Place Anaheim. No response was immediately received. This article will be updated if a response is received.
The report reveals that the allegations extend beyond Scott, claiming that there is a culture of competition and public humiliation within the Church.
Despite some positive reflections on the early days of Scott’s ministry, the report paints a complex portrait of past leadership.
More than half of those surveyed (60%) reported feeling “spiritually abused” by Alan and his leadership style.
“Mention of greater blessing from God was used to encourage people to serve more, which was considered abusive behavior,” the report said. “Some have said that Alan wrongly idolizes himself and seems “all-knowing”; several interviewees said that Alan would say he knows people’s sins just by looking at them. »
About 40 percent of those surveyed reported narcissistic behavior on Scott’s part, seeking praise and even telling those who disagreed with him to leave the church.
“People were saying that Alan was seen as aggressive and were shouting at people in
“Although things have changed since Alan left, some people believe that some controlling behavior from senior leaders is still evident within the church today.”
Last week, senior Causeway Coast executives Neil and Janet Young, Scott’s wife’s sister, resigned. In a statement, the church said the Youngs, who took over after Scott left in 2017, no longer agreed with the investigation or a formal declaration released by the Church in July, alleging spiritual abuse and leadership abuse.
“(They) can no longer submit to the spiritual and structural authority of the Vineyard Churches of the United Kingdom and Ireland and the governance of the CCV Board of Trustees,” read the Oct. 29 statement from Causeway Coast regarding their resignation.
Scott left his position as lead pastor of Causeway Coast Vineyard in June 2017 when he moved to California. Scott was then hired to lead Vineyard Anaheim, Vineyard USA’s flagship church at the time.
Under the leadership of Scott, Vineyard Anaheim dissociates itself from the Vineyard movement early 2022 and became the home of Anaheim. The disassociation of the Anaheim church resulted in legal challenges.
In December 2022, Causeway Coast was informed of “various concerns and allegations” raised regarding the management of Causeway Coast Vineyard under Scott from 1999 to 2017.
According to the report, more than a third of those surveyed said pastors, primarily Scott, were too “numbers-driven.”
“This included the manipulation of figures in some areas and the exaggeration of stories about the success of events and actions taken by the Church and its leaders,” the report added. “Confidential employee data, such as salary level, was openly linked to tithing and employees reported being publicly challenged by their leaders regarding their lack of generosity.”
Some respondents detailed practices of sharing embellished healing stories as part of a church growth effort. Claims have also emerged regarding rewards for achieving these imposed goals, thereby contributing to an unhealthy church environment.
Just under half of those surveyed said they had been publicly humiliated or had inappropriate comments made about them, alleging their boundaries had been crossed. Some claimed these actions were “intentionally done to humiliate them, especially during staff meetings.”
More than half of those surveyed agreed there was a ‘culture of manipulation’
leaders at all levels, with people feeling silenced and
forced to volunteer. »
“Specific mention was made of Alan, and sometimes other senior leaders, granting people ‘status’ and additional influence over others as a reward for those who carry out their orders,” the report said, claiming that the emphasis was on “the number of participants,
healings, salvations, etc. to obtain these “rewards”.
“Questions have been asked about the manner in which church trustees and leaders were appointed, leading to suggestions of potential nepotism and that they are not representative of the church. church at large or the local community that the church serves.”
The final report acknowledges the limitations of its scope, as it represents the experiences of those who chose to participate. However, this suggests that the reported behaviors and problems likely occurred to some extent.
In response to the report’s findings, the Church and Vineyard Churches in the UK and Ireland expressed sadness at having failed to meet their obligations and committed to implementing the recommended changes.
The report prompted responses from Vineyard USA, which acknowledged the efforts of the Church and Vineyard Churches in the United Kingdom and Ireland to respond to the findings and provide care to victims.
Vineyard USA said in a statement that while she was unable to conduct a similar investigation in the United States due to a lack of cooperation, she emphasized the consistency of the British report with testimony received since the breakup of Anaheim Vineyard.
Vineyard USA has also requested a full investigation into Alan Scott’s leadership and conduct at Dwelling Place Anaheim. He said he encouraged community members to advocate for accountability and transparency regarding the allegations.
In November 2022, a group of people who previously attended Vineyard Anaheim filed a complaint vs. Dwelling Place Anaheim.
The filing alleged that Scott and his wife, Kathryn, engaged in “fraud and/or negligent misrepresentation to the search committee at the time of their appointment in early 2018 by allegedly failing to express Alan’s purported displeasure towards the “Vineyard Movement”.
The plaintiffs claim the church’s board breached its fiduciary duties by failing to oppose the breakup of Vineyard USA.
Scott and his wife have denied the allegations. In September, Dwelling Place Anaheim announced that a court found that the claims in the lawsuit had no legal merit, but allowed the plaintiffs to amend their lawsuit.
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